Wicked Tuna

ContinuingSunday / 10:00pmNational Geographic (US)US60 min.

Fishing is a hard life, and harder with bluefin stocks depleted. In Gloucester, Massachusetts, there's a special breed of fishermen. For generations they've used rod and reel to catch the elusive bluefin tuna. They depend on these fish for their livelihood, and the competition is brutal.
Over the next 10 weeks, the most skilled fishermen will set out in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic in hopes of catching the valuable bluefin tuna. When one bluefin can bring in as much as $20,000—they'll do whatever it takes to hook up.

The best fishermen from Gloucester, Massachusetts, set out on the first day of the North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna season, each with something to prove to the rest of the fleet, but this year they will face a formidable new opponent from northern waters.

It's week 12 of the North Atlantic bluefin tuna season, and after catching no fish last week, last season's champion, Captain Dave Carraro of FV-Tuna.com, has sought help from his ally, Captain TJ Ott of Hot Tuna.

Bad luck, bait problems, and big egos plague the Gloucester fleet. With only five weeks left before the season closes, an epic week of catching from one boat threatens to knock captain Dave Marciano out of the top spot on the leaderboard.

It’s week eight of the Atlantic bluefin tuna season, and as the season ticks past the halfway point, the Gloucester captains are determined to work harder than ever to put tuna on their decks and charge into the rest of the season as strong as possible. But being on the water for the past two months is taking a toll on crew members and one mate faces a dilemma — keep fishing or quit so he can spend more time with his wife and kids.

Captain TJ Ott is eager to put more fish on the deck, but runs into trouble after the steering breaks in the middle of a catch, and only his brother’s experience as a mechanic can bail them out in time.; rivals desperately try to out-fish each other; Capt. Paul Hébert tries to land his first fish of the season and break in new mates.

Season 3

15 Episodes

Captain Dave Carraro of FV-Tuna.com is determined to keep up his hot streak, but the recklessness of another boat causes him to reach his boiling point. Captain TJ Ott of The Hot Tuna took over second place last week, but Captain Dave Marciano of Hard Merchandise is determined to regain second position. After a rocky start to the season, Captain Paul Hebert of Miss Sambvca has been on a catching streak for the past four weeks, and has his eyes set on second place as well.

Season 2

15 Episodes

In the second season finale, a storm brews on the horizon as the final week of the season continues. The FV-Tuna.com remains in the lead but hasn't caught a fish this week. Nearest rival Pin Wheel has two fish on deck from earlier in the week. Over on the Lisa & Jake, Paul caught three fish already and is on the way to reaching his $50,000 goal. The storm threatens the Hard Merchandise, but with one in the haul already they hook up again and fight for a second catch to end the season strong.

In the first episode of a two-part season finale, Gloucester's reigning bluefin champion, Captain Dave Carraro starts the last week of the season nearly $20,000 ahead of his New Hampshire rival, the Pin Wheel. For young Captain Tyler, the goal is to prove himself to the veterans. Captain Paul Hebert of the Lisa & Jake wants to fulfill his goal of earning $50,000 in five weeks while Captain Marciano is desperate to put away money and revive a season marred by boat breakdowns and short fish.

With only two weeks left in the season, just one fish is not enough for the Gloucester captains--and the lure of doubling their luck is tempting. FV-Tuna.com holds the lead for the fifth week in a row, followed closely by the young guns on The Pin Wheel. Paul, who recently left FV-Tuna.com to lead his own boat, is desperate for a win as a new captain--and is counting on the cash to provide for his family and young daughter.

As the summer comes to an end and the water temperature drops, the bluefin start their migration to the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico, making the last three weeks of the season even tougher. Pin Wheel is just behind FV-Tuna.com, so Tyler makes a gamble on a long trip, hoping it'll pay off. With their boat near Canadian waters, the guys have to be extra careful to stay in U.S. territory or their catch won't be legal.

When new fishermen join the crew, who will make the grade and who will miss the boat? FV-Tuna.com is just clinging to its lead over Pin Wheel. New deckhand Garon is out for his first day on FV-Tuna.com and he's eager to prove himself. Paul's new boat, Lisa & Jake, is in its second week and has serious ground to make up to catch the other captains. With inexperienced deckhand Kevin costing them a fish, Paul is feeling the stress like never before.

After an intense week, where Dave fired Paul as first mate on FV-tuna.com, the two friends-turned-foes are now ferociously competing against each other to see who will catch more fish. Navigating the open seas in hopes of catching the most fish, Paul aims to prove that he is fine on his own without Dave, so he asks his brother Bruce, a bluefin fishing legend, to join him onboard and help him outfish his old employer.

Tensions come to a head when captains and crew lock horns on the water. Tuna.com is back in the lead over Pin Wheel in week nine of the fishing season. The fishermen of Bounty Hunter are feeling the tension because of their lack of fish this season. Tyler is still reeling from his mates slacking off last week, and when they continue to misbehave on the water, he reaches his breaking point.

It's midway through the season, and the pressure to bring in a paycheck pushes the captains to their limits. Pin Wheel is still in the lead over Tuna.com. Trailing in third, Hard Merchandise is struggling with a boat that isn't exactly running like new and a crew that can't seem to catch a break on the water. And Odysea's single catch is putting serious pressure on Jason, the first mate, whose family is waiting for a paycheck back in Florida.

With the fishing season already half over, the captains have no choice but to head straight into a wicked storm. The Gloucester boats tail behind Pin Wheel; and Tuna.com knows that without risk, there's no reward, and they head full steam ahead. Hoping that the change in the weather will lead to a change in luck  and bigger fish  the captains get serious with the stakes this high and money to be made.

Old rivals try to settle scores while amateur fishermen are wreaking havoc. FV-Tuna.com maintains a narrow lead in the race to catch the biggest bluefin, but has to relocate because of amateur boats getting too close. Kevin is none too pleased when a weekend warrior runs over his anchor line. With repairs required, he tries to finish the day. Tyler gives his mates a week off but still heads out to pursue the chase; however, he encounters googans who slow him down and quickly frustrate him.

Sharks lead to a man vs. beast showdown in the North Atlantic. Huge great white sharks have been spotted in Gloucester waters. Captain Kevin is on full alert when a great white slams into the side of his fishing vessel Christina. When a harpoon line gets tangled in the Pin Wheel's propeller, Captain Tyler has no choice but to get in the water. With great whites able to detect trace amounts of blood from up to three miles away, he and his hard-won tuna catch are at high risk.

Let the games begin! It's tournament time in Gloucester, and with a big cash prize up for grabs and the best boats in New England joining the fray, it's the mother of all battles to catch the biggest bluefin. Tensions come to a head as the mischievous young crew of the Pin Wheel plays a prank on the biggest hothead in the fleet, Captain Ralph of the Odysea, and get more than they bargained for.

The fleet has invested time and money in searching for places where bluefin tuna congregate and feed  locations known as numbers. But for the young crew of the Pin Wheel, the entire ocean is theirs for the taking, and Captain Tyler sets sail in search of new hot spots.

After an impressive first week against the veteran fleet, Tyler and the Pin Wheel gamble on making the 150-mile trip to Georges Bank. Meanwhile, for Kevin Leonowert, captain of the Christina, there's nothing better than the rush of harpooning. It's a high-octane chase where boats specially rigged with a high tower and a bow pulpit can identify schools of bluefin, take aim and nab the tuna of their choice.

The fishermen of Gloucester, Mass., navigate the open seas in hopes of catching the first fish of the season. Dave Carraro, captain of FV-Tuna.com, finds his first fishing spot of the season, but his day is interrupted by an unwelcome visitor. Tyler McLaughlin, a New Hampshire native and the 24-year-old captain of the Pin Wheel, has headed south to invade Gloucester waters, with the expressed intent of catching more fish than Dave.

Jan 13 2013

Season 1

10 Episodes

With winter approaching and the yearly quota almost filled, the fishermen push their limits to catch the final fish of the season. The clock is ticking, and the fishing is fast and furious. It seems everyone's hooking up but the king of the fleet, Dave, captain of the Tuna.com. But with the final hours of the season running out, Dave stumbles onto what may be the biggest, baddest fish of the year if he can land it.

A hard season with little money to show has taken its toll on the crew of the Odysea, leading Captain Ralph to lash out at his first mate Pirate. The more Ralph yells, the more Pirate tunes him out, leading to more mistakes from Pirate.

With just two weeks left until the end of tuna fishing season, Bounty Hunter gains a new deckhand. Paul, formerly of Tuna.com, joins the crew, and Captain Bill hopes he will help turn the boat's luck around. But tensions flare when Paul tries to teach a few things to First Mate Scott leaving questions about whether the new arrangement will work. On the Hard Merchandise, First Mate Jay struggles to prove to his uncle and Captain that he's worth keeping on next season.

A mixture of bad luck and mutiny brews in this tumultuous episode of Wicked Tuna. Tensions erupt on New England’s top tuna boat, Tuna.Com, when Captain Dave and Paul get into a heated confrontation that causes Paul to quit!

An intense storm slams into the shores of Massachusetts, and meteorologists are calling for winds up to 20 to 30 knots and 4- to 6-foot-high waves. Most wouldn’t dream of steaming out into conditions like these, but a few are brave enough to dare risk their lives — the fishermen of Gloucester.

Meet Kevin and the Christina, a boat that gets its own real life fish story when it snags an eleven-hundred-pound “monstah” right out of the gate. The story of Kevin’s catch, by far the biggest of the season, is the talk of the town and no one takes it harder than Dave on Tuna.com. Dave puts his boat on overdrive to catch up, while Marciano is forced to sit on the sidelines with a charter tour so he can pay off debts.

Tuna.com continues its winning streak, catching two fish in one day while the rest of the fleet struggles to even find a spot to fish in between the flocks of “googans”—the weekend recreational boaters who seem to make every bite go wrong. Desperate for a catch, Bill of Bounty Hunter starts doing some sleuthing, trying to crack Dave’s code in search of the secret that will bring him the fish—and the money.

After going bust on his last trip, Marciano of Hard Merchandise wrestles with the trials of being an absentee father when he comes home empty-handed. Though they'd prefer a paycheck to a three-thousand-dollar loss, his family misses him and shows their love and support while his mind remains on chasing tuna. The next day, he repays their devotion when he comes home with a $10,000 fish.

Meet the fleet, as peak season begins and the adrenaline rush of “monstah” hunting hits Gloucester. We enter mid-season, but this is when the money is made and tempers run hot. Each captain loads his boat with three thousand dollars worth of fuel, bait, and ice, and heads off for open water where the blue gold is waiting. But it doesn’t take long for things to sour when there’s cash on the line.